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THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



THE WORK OF THE RODENT CONTROL DIVISION.* 

 By S. V. CHRISTIERSON and C. A. WILKINS. 



For many years, in fact throughout the history of California, we 

 find mention made of the damage occasioned by the ground squirrel. 

 Various laws have been enacted in the past to suppress this plague, but 

 all of them are now matters of record only, and have sunk into obscurity. 

 But the damage by the genus Citellus has assumed more and more 

 alarming proportions each year, as the agricultural lands of California 

 have been developed, and the natural enemies — coyotes, bobcats (Fig. 

 54), hawks, owls, weasels, skunks and snakes — wantonly destroyed or 

 driven off to more inaccessible places. Several agencies such as the State 

 Board of Health, the United States Public Health Service, the county 

 boards of supervisors, and others have on certain occasions given valiant 

 and effective service in different localities to eradicate the ground 

 squirrels, but due to lack of co-operation, funds and general effort, 

 throughout the state, no lasting results were obtained. 



To effect an organization, state-wide in scope, for this purpose, would 

 seem hardly advisable, especially as such an organization already 

 existed, for the purpose of protecting the horticultural and agricultural 

 interests of the state. The county horticultural commissioners had 

 been able for years to eradicate, control or destroy insect pests and 

 fungous diseases injurious to the state of California, by requesting 

 an eradication, through the service of a notice to that effect upon the 

 landowner, and if he failed to comply, having authority to do so at 

 county expense. Such expenses for eradication of public nuisances, if 

 done at county expense, becoming a lien against the property. 



At the convention of the State Association of County Horticultural 

 Commissioners at Napa, in November, 1916, the newly appointed State 

 Commissioner of Horticulture placed the question of a state-wide cam- 

 paign against the destructive ground squirrels squarely before these 

 officials. By asking for a vote as to how many of the meeting would 

 favor a legislative measure placing this important work in their hands, 

 it was found that the commissioners with only one exception were 

 willing to support it. Accordingly, the legislative committee of this 

 body immediately proceeded to amend the statutes governing the actions 

 of the county horticultural commissioners so as to include the destruc- 

 tion of ground squirrels with their other manifold duties. This amend- 

 ment was introduced in the legislature of 1917, and in the face of much 

 opposition (four other bills dealing with ground-squirrel eradication 

 being presented at the same time) passed both houses, with hardly a 

 dissenting vote, and was signed by Governor Wm. D. Stephens on 

 May 17, 1917. The only reason for this was the advantage, which the 

 legislature immediately discerned, of an already perfected, state-wide 

 organization, which, instead of localizing the work, would generalize 



^Historical data frequently are lacking on subjects of state-wide interest. This 

 article has been prepared to supply authentic information concerning the Rodent 

 Control Division of the State Commission of Horticulture, causes leading up to its 

 inception, organization, and in a condensed form, the work accomplished during the 

 year 1918. To make this a matter of permanent record, this article is being published 

 in the Rodent Issue of the Monthly Bulletin. 



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